Between 2000-01 and 2015-16, the total number of charter schools across the United States grew by about 350 percent. In some states, up to nine percent of students are enrolled in a charter school (National Center for Education Statistics, 2018). In 2013, Mississippi signed into law the Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013, allowing charter schools to enter the field of public education in the state.
The purpose of the study is to predict the long-term, overall impact of charter schools on traditional public school districts in Mississippi by examining similar districts to those in Mississippi with established charter schools, identifying trends in those districts, and determining whether similar impacts are likely to be felt are in Mississippi's traditional public school districts. This qualitative study interviews traditional public school district and charter school officials in Jackson, Mississippi and Clarksdale, Mississippi as well as officials from similar districts across the country in which charter schools have a longer presence. The findings of this study show that the long-term, overall impact of charter schools in Mississippi remains open, but may be largely shaped by public policy that (1) encourages communication between charter school and traditional public school officials; (2) (when establishing new charter schools) take into account the number and enrollment in traditional public school districts from which the charter school is likely to draw its students; and (3) promote charter schools that.
ELL English Language Learner E-Stem E-Stem Public Charter Schools FRPL Free and Reduced Lunch HISD Hudson Independent School District IEP Individualized Education Program JPS Jackson Public Schools.
Introduction
Charter schools must serve at least 80% of underserved students in the traditional public school district in which the charter school is located (Mississippi Charter Schools Act of. Although nearly all states have adopted charter school policies, much is unknown about charter schools. The existing literature assesses the impact of charter schools on four areas: (1) on students, (2) on teachers, (3) on budget and finances and (4) on operations.
Specifically, charter schools must enroll underserved students in proportion to the amount of the traditional public school district in which the charter school is located at or above 80%. I use their findings in conjunction with recent literature to examine the impact of charter schools on traditional public school districts in Mississippi, particularly over the long term. I then interviewed charter school and traditional public school district officials from each comparison district to determine the impact charter schools have on the traditional public school district.
My research shows that the actual impact of charter schools on traditional public school districts varies significantly between those in Jackson and Clarksdale.
Literature Review
The current data and literature on the effects of charter schools on traditional public school performance are decidedly mixed. However, the dominant findings show no significant effects of charter schools on student achievement in traditional public schools (Gill, 2016). In contrast, some studies have found negative effects on traditional public school students as a result of charter schools.
The Department of Education conducted a study in 2001 to measure the impact of charter schools on traditional public school districts. More than half of the districts in this study perceived the impact of charter schools as negative, reflecting changes in their budgets. Overall, this report shows that charter schools are significantly influencing traditional public school districts (US Department of Education, 2001).
General findings about the impact of charter schools on traditional public school districts are decidedly inconclusive.
Methodology
To collect my data, my plan was to conduct semi-structured interviews with charter school administrators and district officials from traditional public school districts. I initially contacted the schools and districts largely via email and followed up by telephone. All interviews were conducted in person or by telephone so that I could ask follow-up questions.
I did not record the interviews to help the subjects feel more comfortable and provide more honest and forthcoming responses. For example, if a traditional public school district official claimed that fewer children are attending the local high school, I sought data to confirm their claim. I sought data from public sources or through the interviewees; I did not collect secondary data first hand.
Results…
As of the 2018-2019 school year, there are four charter schools operating in Jackson (Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board, nd). Overall, the relationship between JPS and the district's charter schools was described as acrimonious. Finally, school officials felt that E-Stem has a particularly dysfunctional relationship with the traditional public school district that other charter schools in Little Rock do not appear to have.
Many of the traditional public school districts and charter schools I sought to study did not respond or did not want to be interviewed. However, a nuanced approach to understanding the relationship between charter schools and traditional public school districts can be helpful in shaping smaller policy components. In Sample 1, the results indicate that charter schools generally have a negative impact on the traditional public school district in which they are located.
Much of what is driving teachers to leave the traditional public school district is greater flexibility in certification requirements for charter schools. Operationally, charter schools appear to have little impact on the traditional public school district in Sample 1, but have an overall positive impact in Sample 2. In both samples, the relationship between charter schools and the traditional public school district was largely non-existent.
The Mississippi Department of Education must ensure that leaders of charter schools and traditional public school districts meet semi-regularly. The effect of charter schools on students in traditional public schools: A review of the evidence. Have charter schools affected the demographic makeup of the student body in the district.
Has there been an impact on teacher retention in the district as a result of the implementation of charter schools? Has there been an impact on the hiring process for new teachers in the district as a result of charter schools? Have there been any changes in district staffing patterns as a result of the implementation of charter schools?
Has there been an impact on the district budget from the establishment of charter schools. Have there been changes at the district level in terms of operation due to the creation of charter schools. Has there been any change at the district level regarding teachers due to the creation of charter schools.
Clarksdale, MS)
Jackson, MS)
Analysis, Discussion & Policy Recommendations
To this end, a generalized conclusion about the overall relationship between charter schools and traditional public school districts is not helpful for understanding the current relationship nor for shaping future education policy. E-Stem and LISA Academy officials' response classifications represent schools located within the same traditional public school district. This finding is consistent with the literature that states that the size of a traditional public school district is one of the largest determinants of charter school influence.
In both samples, reductions in student enrollment due to charter schools have less of an impact on a traditional public school district if the district has a larger student population or if there are more districts from which charter schools can draw students. The number of teachers who leave a traditional public school district to teach at a charter school located within that district is generally high during the charter school's founding years, but declines over time. In districts where hiring teachers is more of a challenge, charter schools generally neither improve nor worsen the situation.
Since funding for traditional public school districts is tied to student enrollment, the impact of charter schools on traditional public school district finances follows the same trends as student enrollment. In some cases, charter schools that lead to a lower overall budget for their equivalent traditional public school district force the district to allocate money more efficiently; however, this was not the case in all districts. While there is little direct collaboration between the charter schools and the traditional public school districts in either sample, some officials have begun to collaborate or hope to collaborate.
Furthermore, some traditional public school districts and charter schools from both samples expressed a desire for increased communication and believed that if this were to happen, the relationship could become more positive. Results of this study suggest that the net impact of charter schools on traditional public school districts in the long run may differ significantly in both communities such as Jackson and such as Clarksdale. When approving new charter schools, especially in communities similar to Clarksdale, the MCSAB must consider the number of traditional public districts and schools from which the new charter school could potentially draw students.
When approving new charter schools, especially in communities similar to Clarksdale, the MCSAB must consider the grade level at which the charter school would begin enrolling students. Students who attend a charter school at the beginning of their career in public education will not cause the traditional public school district any actual lost funds, only the loss of potential funds.
Conclusion
Ultimately, as more charter school legislation is being considered across the country, it is important that more research be conducted to better understand the role that charter schools play in education in the United States. . Has there been any change in the way the district allocates money due to the creation of charter schools.
